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Looking back, it's crazy how the 1st 3 years of my life played out: 1. I was 1 month old when Dale won the 1998 Daytona 500. 2. I was 3 years old when Dale died That leads me to this. That gives me such an emotional connection to the number 3 and Daytona in general. I legit cried when Austin Dillon won the 2018 Daytona 500. That's when NASCAR came full circle.
I feel the same way, man. My mom was 3 months pregnant when Dale won the 98 Daytona 500. On that day in 2001, I still remember being 2 years old at a birthday party. A day that was supposed to be full of happyness and good times for my family, quickly turned into a day of shock and utter sadness. My cousin who was a big Earnhardt fan was completely heartbroken. At the time, I didn't fully understand what'd happened but looking back, it was truly an awful day that I'll never forget.
Daytona was the start of what turned out to be the worst year ever. First Dale died, then the horror of 911, and a month after that the airliner that crashed into the neighborhood where so many NYC firefighters lived. 2001 was the worst, most tragic and heartbreaking year.
The first race without Dale man this still chokes me up Nascar was never the same. The magic was gone and a huge void still exists to this day. AD-1 first week after Dale. Tore me up too see his son even there and the way he must of felt. He is one strong dude to go thru the loss of his Father and carry thru with whole weight of the world on his shoulders. Most people could not handle that well but he managed too stay strong.
I'm glad they interviewed Kenny Schrader about being back at the track. Darrell really conducted an excellent interview with Sterling about the last lap crash with Dale. Fans can really be so mean on one driver.
I had been looking for this tribute video for a long time, and I'm really glad to finally have found it. It's one of the more fitting tributes. The part at the end, when the doors open up, revealing the bright light; and while he's walking toward it; at the very end, just as he's about to enter; you hear a large applause; finally, his voice, as if for the final time; saying "Thank You"......................... I liked that.
Gordon leaving The Pole Position Open in Honoring of Dale Sr in The Pace Laps is One of The Reasons He's My Favorite Driver Proud To Be from California Just Like Jeff Gordon 24
What I heard was that Dale told his crew to modify his belts to make them more comfortable, a design that Dale himself, with input from a Bell official, came up with. May have made the belt system weaker. Also, there area of the wreck (the 33° banking) could have made the impact worse. When you look at "vectors", the cars velocity vector is at a 33°+90° = 123°. On a flat part of the track it would just be 90 deg. Going "uphill", your fighting the "weight vector" (the line that goes straight down) as well as the vector of the car. This could have made the "whiplash" effect more severe than in just a hit into the wall (like his Talladega wreck in 96 on the much flatter trioval. So instead of breaking his neck, he broke his sternum)
Which makes sense, because when he collected Kenny Schrader, that contact repositioned Dale inside the cockpit and changed the angle of his car. This was a brand new race with brand new seat belts in his car.
Dale was my hero. And It was my childhood dream to meet him, or at least watch him race. I never got to live that dream. If god is real then maybe I'll get to meet Dale when I die.
I couldn't agree more. I was at the NH race last Sunday and it was tough to not yawn. These days it's all about calculators, wind tunnels, fuel mileage, etc. The balls-first, slam-the-gas type racing of guys like Petty, Pearson, and most of all Earnhardt is gone forever.
The weirdest thing for me is watching the IROC 23 races in 1999, seeing Dale Earnhardt and Greg Moore in the field. It looked as though Dale was on his way back to his absolute best. It looked as though young Greg would dominate Champ Cars with Penske in the years to come. It looked...
“That better not be my son out there on that scooter in the rain!” “That better not be my daughter either!” Man, I miss these guys and the things they come up with during these rain delays. LOL.
Sterling did nothing wrong that was a racing accident. In 2000 his teammate Kenny Irwin jr. Lost his life in Loudon New Hampshire so he and that team went through a whole lot the last thing he wanted to be known as the man who got into Dale Earnhardt costing him his life he didn't need that
It was DW's classy prayer that earned him favoritism amongst many peers and fans. That alone should make every fan respect DW, because he spoke the truth, whether you like him as a commentator or not. Jeff's "missing man" formation was a such a classy move by a man who has Earnhardt's talent and the respect of The Intimidator. Also, don't want to sound like an ass but Ron Hornaday, seriously? On the 1st lap? Out of all the people you had to crash, Jr. was the one you should have given a break.
@@r_moore20 I didn’t say he wrecked Dale Jr. on purpose. I am saying he should have lifted earlier & cut Dale Jr. a break on lap 1. That’s the last person anyone should see wreck on the 1st lap since Dale Earnhardt’s accident.
Anybody who believe Sterling Marlin is wrong for what happened to Dale I don't agree with them. That's racing. Third place was up for grabs and you going to do whatever it takes you can't back off and let someone in line at that point of the race. Dale wasn't wrong for what he did either he's trying to hold third while he's watching two of his cars battle for a Daytona 500 win.
A rising star driver only to have his career been cut short by injury causing crashes that were easily avoidable. Unfortunately, he was a part of THE UNLUCKIEST NASCAR Rookie Class EVER, The NASCAR Rookie Class of 1998. It's true Kenny Irwin died from a life ending crash, Steve Park got injured up to the point where he had his career cut short, and the same with Jerry Nadeau. Such a shame for these drivers to have their careers cut short by bad luck.
@@zanemarte9877 yeah all three of them were huge potentials. Steve was doing so damn good that one season (I forgot which year) where it ended early for him due to crash. Never was the same when he got back
i was only 14 (would turn 15 that year) and i am dutch so at that time i was not even into the USA. racing maybe a bit but that was because back then my dad watched Formula 1 so that was a different type of racing. but i have watched a lot of historic moments out of the USA since i now am a huge USA lover. hearing that Dale said "if i die on track i would have been doing what i loved" and that nobody should cry for him is beautifull. But even if you are happy about that he died doing what he loved, or when someone dies after a long time living with pain so you know they now have no pain anymore. that doesn't mean you can hold tears back. He did what he loved doing, and he died while trying his best to make sure that his team won. i think he was smiling down at Michael Waltrip just like a proud father or something like that.
dale passed the 18th, I lost my job on Wednesday the 21st for missing too much work caring for my dying mother, who I found passed away on the following rainy Sunday morning (the 25th, day of this broadcast). The worst week of my life.
I firmly believe tht Kevin Harvick was the only man who could’ve done what was asked of & do what he done. I forgot how much interest Dale had in Kevin.
zach catanzareti Racing at Rockingham one week later helped, IMO, because doing so was the best possible tribute the drivers could give to Dale. Dan's crash was in the season finale, so there was much more time for the IndyCar community to mourn.
Yeah it’s kind of weird actually. This happened when I was a kid so a week was a long time. But now as an adult I’m like wtf how the fuck did they already have an interview with Marlin and being able to process all that and stuff within a frickin week? But then again at same time as an adult things kind of roll off easier too I guess and it’s relatively easy to move on while simultaneously grieving.
He just lost his father then and grieving a father is one of the hardest things everyone will deal with in their lives. I applaud him to call it even before the race was called off till the next day. I would've done the same thing.
@@zanemarte9877 I just couldn't imagine that he would have been prepared for this exact race weekend. So it was meant for him to crash out and for the #8 team to load up and go home.
The 2001 Daytona 500 was one of only 2 races I ever watched flag to flag as a kid...at 5 years old I watched one of my absolute favourites die...and honestly it hurts more now than it did then
Used to go to EVERY race at Rockingham i live 20 min from the track was sitting in turn 1 on this day there was just a very solem strange atmosphere that day ill never forget that day Jr crashing on the 1st lap scared the bajesus out of everyone. I can't hardly stand to even drive by the track these days seeing it abandoned its a shame.
Was at this race as I was many at Rockingham but I'll never forget the lap 3 salute and just the weird energy that was in the air that day and Jrs accident scared the crap out of everyone just a tragedy all around, unfortunately NASCAR has never recovered .
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! I've been looking for the prerace all over RUclips, and I'm so glad you posted it as well as the full race. The opening ceremonies were so emotional, I felt like crying that day. Sadly I did'nt get to watch the rest of the race because it was postponed to the next day and the race got moved to FX and my cable company did'nt have it. I was so upset about that.
1:09:52-1:10:33 You can't blame Sterling Marlin because he too, was battling for a position on the track, and if you watch the last 10 laps of the Daytona 500, Dale cut Sterling off I don't know how many times, but that last time Dale cut him off was one time too many, and you can clearly see that Marlin had the speed, and the advantage to go underneath Dale and maybe pass him, and when he tried to pass him, Dale attempted to put the block on him, but it was too late... but at least Dale died by what he loved doing: driving a racecar.
When positions are up for grabs there is no pulling over for other drivers, even for 12th place. You try to get the best position you can for your team. Sterling didn't deserve to be viewed as the driver who created Dale's death.
@@iankhan4614 If you look at the reply, we have to be honest with ourselves, Dale cut Marlin off and over corrected. Marlin was there, for the majority of the corner too.
@@TheIntimidator93 with that said, dale tried his best to find a way out of it, maybe make the car spin out down on the banking and drive on to finish 12th. But it didn't happen
I never understood why in 2001 or heck 2002 nascar or the media didn't really pay much attention to the fact that Kyle Petty was driving his sons.... Let me Repeat his sons car who had died at 19. I'm not discounting Earnhardt at all I'm just saying what kyle Petty did was more meaningful than Dale Jr etc
It got a lot of coverage in the 500's pre-race. They interviewed Kyle twice, then they had Ken Squire give a few updates on him during the race. Every time he pitted, it was also mentioned that he was in "Adam Petty's colors"
Travis M Simpson I guess it’s just because Adam and Kenny didn’t have the same legacy Dale had. Dale was one of the greatest ever, and he died in the most watched and most important race of the year. I remember someone made the analogy that it was like Michael Jordan dying in Game 7 of the NBA finals. Did they deserve to be overshadowed? Certainly not, but due to circumstances it just kinda happened. You guys didn’t even mention Tony Roper who died at Texas in 2000 It also didn’t help that in 2001 Petty Enterprises and Kyle petty were downright awful so...
I know NASCAR really doesn't want another death in their sport, but getting rid of these cars (Gen 4), and bringing the COT and the Gen 6 car, is ridiculous. Back then, racing was good, the championship was decided fairly by the best driver the entire season, now the championship system is flawed, the cars are crap, the two greatest drivers of the modern area are now retiring, and there's no more integrity, there's no more actual racing no more, it's getting lucky with a good car, not making your car the best over the race. Everything's about passing nowadays. I'd give everything for NASCAR to overthrow everyone making the decision to change the cars every week, and get people who can make the sport great again in their spots.
I agree with everything ya said except the bit about the Gen 6 car. I think it's every bit as good as the Gen 4 car especially considering the low down force package for next season. and it looks far my stock then gen 4!
By changing the cars every week, you mean going back to the different types of cars like short track, road course, redirector plate type of setup. If that's what your saying I agree with you. I miss the different types of cars depending on what track your at. 2001 cars had this kind of setup.
+ThatKidd another thing, look at all the crappy tracks that have 2 dates and Rockingham has no dates; Atlanta and Darlington now only have a single date. The Brickyard 400 is a joke, Bristol is not the same.
i think what makes me most emotional to see is Dale jr. being there 1 week later and all the support for him. that is some strength that man had. a lot of people would not have the strength to be there or at least would not have the strength to drive.
In my opinion losing the three cars was what made losing Dale tougher . It was like losing Dale twice . When Davey Allison was lost the the 28 Texaco Havoline car stayed . As long the car was still there Davey was still there .
Dale Jr. only got to race the 2000 season with his dad but they also spent a lot of time together during the 98 & 99 seasons when Jr. when the back to back busch series championships...
when dale earnhardt passed away i was seven and was a jeff gordan fan and i didn't like earnhardt but i remember saying to my dad that didn't look good and then he told me to go get a shower the shortly after that my dad came in and told me that dale earnhardt was dead i was in absolute shock. this last decade alot has change in nascar and ive seen alot of races that had dale in them. ive seen every documentry about him and i can say that he was the greatest racecar driver ever today he ismissed
I lost respect for Dale Earnhardt fans that day for the way Sterling Marlin and Simpson were treated. Truly disgusting behavior. What? No death threats for Hornaday for wrecking Junior on the first lap of the next race after Daytona? I guess they were still too busy harassing Sterling.
19 years later and they're still giving Sterling shit for it. Plus, they seem to think Dale was the only person to drive the 3 car and no one else should.
R.I.P Dale Earnhardt, The Intimidator, he was sorely missed. The man in black I became an instant fan when I watched the Michigan Goodwrench 400 and some NASCAR races back in the mid-late 90s. The 1999 Bristol race and the thrilling final win for Dale Earnhardt at Dega were some of my favorites. Park brought it home for his late boss. The three of them at DEI were great teammates together with Eury Sr. and Jr as their crew chief. Harvick bringing RCR victory with Dale's old car at Atlanta. Anyone know what name of the symphony music playing in the background in Michael Waltrip's segment? I've heard it at the beginning of Fox broadcast of the Daytona 500 for the first time.
The first race after Dale's death here in the Dura Lube 400 at Rockingham, was like the Phillies' first game after Harry Kalas' death in Washington, DC on April 13, 2009.
It’s crazy how it literally took Dale Earnhardt for NASCAR to realize how bad their safety was. I look back at how the cockpit and safety was back then and think how in the hell did they race like that
I mean come on.... after the death of the 1st person in a 1 year span changes NEED to be made. It was very foolish of Nascar to wait until a superstar racer died for them to make changes. I mean, it shouldn't take a death for Nascar to realize that changes need to be made!
San47di It was a joke. I say I married out of my league, all the time. In my opinion, EVERY guy marries out of his league. Women are the most beautiful creatures on the face of the planet.
2006 was the last full season I watched, never cared for the COT. I know it's supposed to be safer, but the cars and racing isn't the same at all, not to mention real boring! I try and catch the Daytona 500 and the road courses every year, but that's about it. Even Bristol and Martinsville aren't that exciting anymore. Sad the direction NASCAR has taken in the 18 years since Earnhardt's death. Oh, and bring back THE ROCK! This track was awesome.
First race without Dale Earnhardt since the 1979 Southern 500; first race that Marcis Auto Racing did not attempt since the 1989 Goody's 500 at Martinsville.
Watching this I didn't feel that Mike Helton was too concerned about safety. He seemed to just dance around the questions didn't really seem like he was going all in to keep these drivers safe.
1:09:54-1:10:00... pay attention and look very closely at the driver's window... you can see head movement from Earnhardt right after he hit the wall, as in he slumps as soon as he went head on....
I was at this race.. It was just... misery. I went back on the Monday, much better then. What was MW talking about at 32 mins in though? About not having Car owner points and needing to qualify to get in. I get that Sr was gone, but DEI was still there and he won the previous race.??
+Greg Stephens For the first 4 races of 2001 (Daytona through Atlanta) provisionals were allotted based on 2000 Owner points standings. The 15 team did not exist in 2000, therefore had no points for that year and no provisional to use until the 5th race of 2001 (Darlington). He had to be in the top 36 in qualifying to make the race.
@@DupontandLowesWarrior That was a different team, the old Bud Moore Engineering team, that made those starts. Michael's team was a brand new team out of DEI and as such those were not his points to use. They likely wouldn't have mattered much anyway even if they were his, as that team was so far down the owner point standings, he never would have got a provisional anyway.
@@DaMan87 another Example is Jimmy Spencer Winning Daytona and Talladega in July of 1994 in The #27 McDonald's Ford but He Failed To Qualify for The Bristol Night Race due To only Having a high needed 37 Drivers
I've been following NASCAR since the late seventies when I was a teenager. I have never been more ashamed of any sports fans than I was of NASCAR fans after Daytona 2001. I don't watch it as much these days (not a fan of the Chase system) but every time I hear Dale Earnhardt's name mentioned I am reminded of the sleazeball NASCAR fans and the way they treated Bill Simpson and Sterling Marlin. NASCAR fans make Chicago Cubs fans look like altar boys. Truly disgusting.
That interview didnt lose him the chanpionship, Atlanta and Martinsville lost it for him. If he would have had a top 10 in those 2 races he would have the name champion.
The #3 is Richards number not Dales, so I think Dale Jr would still be running the 8. Jr was proud to run that number. I think the fans just want to believe he wants to run the #3. If he was alive, DEI would be one of the top teams in Nascar thats for sure, and who knows he might have waited for Steve Park to heal and he might still be on the team.
Jr. may not have been able to carry on the Earnhardt legacy, but he lost his father and the break-up of the family team some years later was one of the reasons why he wasn't as successful. All it took was eight to ten years to get back in the right direction. 2004 would have been his year to win the title, if it weren't for that profanity during post race interviews. Dale Earnhardt's death was partly the reason why Jr. never quite lived up to the Earnhardt name.
Mike Joy couldn't have said it any better when he said "The Sky is Crying". That day, It most certainly was.
Looking back, it's crazy how the 1st 3 years of my life played out:
1. I was 1 month old when Dale won the 1998 Daytona 500.
2. I was 3 years old when Dale died
That leads me to this. That gives me such an emotional connection to the number 3 and Daytona in general. I legit cried when Austin Dillon won the 2018 Daytona 500. That's when NASCAR came full circle.
I feel the same way, man. My mom was 3 months pregnant when Dale won the 98 Daytona 500. On that day in 2001, I still remember being 2 years old at a birthday party. A day that was supposed to be full of happyness and good times for my family, quickly turned into a day of shock and utter sadness. My cousin who was a big Earnhardt fan was completely heartbroken. At the time, I didn't fully understand what'd happened but looking back, it was truly an awful day that I'll never forget.
This is when NASCAR had class, bigger than life drivers, and badass racing. I miss this.
they always have and still do.
Daytona was the start of what turned out to be the worst year ever. First Dale died, then the horror of 911, and a month after that the airliner that crashed into the neighborhood where so many NYC firefighters lived. 2001 was the worst, most tragic and heartbreaking year.
Don't forget the sale and closure of WCW and ECW
I hated 2001 as well, I wasn't born yet, AFL: Fremantle Dockers was on the bottom, Dale dies, 911 attacks and My life sucks!
I think besides Dale's death and 9/11, 2001 was actually one of the best NASCAR seasons.
plus alex zanardi's crash, Michele Alboreto's fatal crash and the death of blaze alexander
And one of the wedding floor broke killing I think 23 people.
The first race without Dale man this still chokes me up Nascar was never the same. The magic was gone and a huge void still exists to this day. AD-1 first week after Dale. Tore me up too see his son even there and the way he must of felt. He is one strong dude to go thru the loss of his Father and carry thru with whole weight of the world on his shoulders. Most people could not handle that well but he managed too stay strong.
Last Race without Dale before That Was in The 1979 Southern 500
I'm glad they interviewed Kenny Schrader about being back at the track. Darrell really conducted an excellent interview with Sterling about the last lap crash with Dale. Fans can really be so mean on one driver.
I had been looking for this tribute video for a long time, and I'm really glad to finally have found it. It's one of the more fitting tributes. The part at the end, when the doors open up, revealing the bright light; and while he's walking toward it; at the very end, just as he's about to enter; you hear a large applause; finally, his voice, as if for the final time; saying "Thank You"......................... I liked that.
Yea I've been trying to find this video or something else that was a tribute to him
Gordon leaving The Pole Position Open in Honoring of Dale Sr in The Pace Laps is One of The Reasons He's My Favorite Driver Proud To Be from California Just Like Jeff Gordon 24
Fkin heavy man
What I heard was that Dale told his crew to modify his belts to make them more comfortable, a design that Dale himself, with input from a Bell official, came up with. May have made the belt system weaker.
Also, there area of the wreck (the 33° banking) could have made the impact worse. When you look at "vectors", the cars velocity vector is at a 33°+90° = 123°. On a flat part of the track it would just be 90 deg.
Going "uphill", your fighting the "weight vector" (the line that goes straight down) as well as the vector of the car. This could have made the "whiplash" effect more severe than in just a hit into the wall (like his Talladega wreck in 96 on the much flatter trioval. So instead of breaking his neck, he broke his sternum)
Which makes sense, because when he collected Kenny Schrader, that contact repositioned Dale inside the cockpit and changed the angle of his car. This was a brand new race with brand new seat belts in his car.
Dale went out on top and that’s all any of us can hope for. He also went out doing the one thing that he loved most on this earth.
Michael Waltrip never got a chance to thank Dale for hiring him.
This still hits me so hard .... Even in 2018 it still hurts knowing dale earnhardt is gone ...
Dale was my hero. And It was my childhood dream to meet him, or at least watch him race. I never got to live that dream. If god is real then maybe I'll get to meet Dale when I die.
they need to go back to the Rock.
Rockingham CLOSED YEARS AGO. That's NEVER going to happen.
its opening again
@@AlonsoRules Hopefully North Wilkesboro and Nazareth Reopen too
@@zanemarte9877 the trackis not closed Nascar just doesn't run there. I live 30 min from the track.
@@badmonkey2222 When was the last time ANYTHING has been held at Rockingham?
I couldn't agree more. I was at the NH race last Sunday and it was tough to not yawn. These days it's all about calculators, wind tunnels, fuel mileage, etc. The balls-first, slam-the-gas type racing of guys like Petty, Pearson, and most of all Earnhardt is gone forever.
The weirdest thing for me is watching the IROC 23 races in 1999, seeing Dale Earnhardt and Greg Moore in the field. It looked as though Dale was on his way back to his absolute best. It looked as though young Greg would dominate Champ Cars with Penske in the years to come. It looked...
“That better not be my son out there on that scooter in the rain!”
“That better not be my daughter either!”
Man, I miss these guys and the things they come up with during these rain delays. LOL.
I hope the people blaming/sending threats to Sterling Marlin are suffering!
Sterling did nothing wrong that was a racing accident. In 2000 his teammate Kenny Irwin jr. Lost his life in Loudon New Hampshire so he and that team went through a whole lot the last thing he wanted to be known as the man who got into Dale Earnhardt costing him his life he didn't need that
It was not Sterling's fault and I'll forgive those who threatened him and may the Lord be with them too
Lots of people forgot about the blame towards Sterling Marlin. Not me.
It was marlins fault cuz take a a closer look at the footage and what they said sterling got into Earnhardt PROOF!!!!!!
@@mackenziegipson3868
It was a racing accident. He was not the reason that Dale's seat belt his lap belt dumped.
I can't believe it's 13 years already, it's hard to get over RIP Dale miss you=(
20 now...
21
23
It was DW's classy prayer that earned him favoritism amongst many peers and fans. That alone should make every fan respect DW, because he spoke the truth, whether you like him as a commentator or not.
Jeff's "missing man" formation was a such a classy move by a man who has Earnhardt's talent and the respect of The Intimidator.
Also, don't want to sound like an ass but Ron Hornaday, seriously? On the 1st lap? Out of all the people you had to crash, Jr. was the one you should have given a break.
A. Prada
Darrell went from being The most HATED Driver in The 1980s to a lovable Kentucky man
He definitely didn't mean to wreck Jr, why on earth would he have that intention?
@@r_moore20 I didn’t say he wrecked Dale Jr. on purpose.
I am saying he should have lifted earlier & cut Dale Jr. a break on lap 1.
That’s the last person anyone should see wreck on the 1st lap since Dale Earnhardt’s accident.
@@mofoprada I'd like to see you try to do it lol, those cars don't just stop on a dime. He had no warning.
DW’s prayer and then at 1:34:00 Gordon’s tribute was awesome. The heart of the sport was on full display here.
Anybody who believe Sterling Marlin is wrong for what happened to Dale I don't agree with them. That's racing. Third place was up for grabs and you going to do whatever it takes you can't back off and let someone in line at that point of the race. Dale wasn't wrong for what he did either he's trying to hold third while he's watching two of his cars battle for a Daytona 500 win.
That was a great win for Steve Park and DEI in general. It's a shame he got injured as much as he did.
A rising star driver only to have his career been cut short by injury causing crashes that were easily avoidable. Unfortunately, he was a part of THE UNLUCKIEST NASCAR Rookie Class EVER, The NASCAR Rookie Class of 1998. It's true Kenny Irwin died from a life ending crash, Steve Park got injured up to the point where he had his career cut short, and the same with Jerry Nadeau. Such a shame for these drivers to have their careers cut short by bad luck.
@@zanemarte9877 yeah all three of them were huge potentials. Steve was doing so damn good that one season (I forgot which year) where it ended early for him due to crash. Never was the same when he got back
i was only 14 (would turn 15 that year) and i am dutch so at that time i was not even into the USA. racing maybe a bit but that was because back then my dad watched Formula 1 so that was a different type of racing. but i have watched a lot of historic moments out of the USA since i now am a huge USA lover. hearing that Dale said "if i die on track i would have been doing what i loved" and that nobody should cry for him is beautifull. But even if you are happy about that he died doing what he loved, or when someone dies after a long time living with pain so you know they now have no pain anymore. that doesn't mean you can hold tears back.
He did what he loved doing, and he died while trying his best to make sure that his team won. i think he was smiling down at Michael Waltrip just like a proud father or something like that.
0:33 FUCK WMG!! Freebird is a great song
Such a good track...it should be on Cup list
dale passed the 18th, I lost my job on Wednesday the 21st for missing too much work caring for my dying mother, who I found passed away on the following rainy Sunday morning (the 25th, day of this broadcast). The worst week of my life.
Joseph Scott I'm so sorry man. You doing okay today? I feel awful for you.
That would be the worst week of my life, too. I know it was a while ago, but I still give my condolences.
I firmly believe tht Kevin Harvick was the only man who could’ve done what was asked of & do what he done. I forgot how much interest Dale had in Kevin.
Dale had no interest in Harvick. Richard did but not dale.
I just dont know how people moved on from this. I was a longtime fan of Wheldon and I was still a wreck after a week.
zach catanzareti Racing at Rockingham one week later helped, IMO, because doing so was the best possible tribute the drivers could give to Dale. Dan's crash was in the season finale, so there was much more time for the IndyCar community to mourn.
you just have to. i was at the vegas race in 2011, and i remember it well. but i still watched nhra that night. racing's hard, but it's my life.
I never will
Yeah it’s kind of weird actually. This happened when I was a kid so a week was a long time. But now as an adult I’m like wtf how the fuck did they already have an interview with Marlin and being able to process all that and stuff within a frickin week? But then again at same time as an adult things kind of roll off easier too I guess and it’s relatively easy to move on while simultaneously grieving.
How crazy it was for Junior to hit just like Dale did. I felt that was some kind of message that was sent.
Dale Jr's team could've fix the 8 🚗, but the emotions were so high that they did the right thing. Load that car in the 🚛 and drive home.
@@iankhan4614 yeah, right. Maybe after 200 laps of work they could have. The whole right front clip was junked, dude..
@@rcdyer Or better yet, Dale Jr could have ask Mike Wallace to let him drive the #7 car to gain points for himself.
He just lost his father then and grieving a father is one of the hardest things everyone will deal with in their lives. I applaud him to call it even before the race was called off till the next day. I would've done the same thing.
@@zanemarte9877 I just couldn't imagine that he would have been prepared for this exact race weekend. So it was meant for him to crash out and for the #8 team to load up and go home.
The 2001 Daytona 500 was one of only 2 races I ever watched flag to flag as a kid...at 5 years old I watched one of my absolute favourites die...and honestly it hurts more now than it did then
It was so much fun watching the rivalry between Jeff Gordon and Dale Ernhardt. I havent watched a full race since the 2001 Daytona 500
Used to go to EVERY race at Rockingham i live 20 min from the track was sitting in turn 1 on this day there was just a very solem strange atmosphere that day ill never forget that day Jr crashing on the 1st lap scared the bajesus out of everyone. I can't hardly stand to even drive by the track these days seeing it abandoned its a shame.
Live how ya silenced Free Bird to prevent copyright strikes. 👍
Was at this race as I was many at Rockingham but I'll never forget the lap 3 salute and just the weird energy that was in the air that day and Jrs accident scared the crap out of everyone just a tragedy all around, unfortunately NASCAR has never recovered .
Did you come back the next day to finish after the rain delay.
@@zanemarte9877 yep
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!
I've been looking for the prerace all over RUclips, and I'm so glad you posted it as well as the full race. The opening ceremonies were so emotional, I felt like crying that day. Sadly I did'nt get to watch the rest of the race because it was postponed to the next day and the race got moved to FX and my cable company did'nt have it. I was so upset about that.
1:04:34 RIP John Andretti driver of the Petty 43.
1:09:52-1:10:33 You can't blame Sterling Marlin because he too, was battling for a position on the track, and if you watch the last 10 laps of the Daytona 500, Dale cut Sterling off I don't know how many times, but that last time Dale cut him off was one time too many, and you can clearly see that Marlin had the speed, and the advantage to go underneath Dale and maybe pass him, and when he tried to pass him, Dale attempted to put the block on him, but it was too late... but at least Dale died by what he loved doing: driving a racecar.
When positions are up for grabs there is no pulling over for other drivers, even for 12th place. You try to get the best position you can for your team. Sterling didn't deserve to be viewed as the driver who created Dale's death.
@@iankhan4614 If you look at the reply, we have to be honest with ourselves, Dale cut Marlin off and over corrected. Marlin was there, for the majority of the corner too.
@@TheIntimidator93 but it is a racing accident and positions are up for grabs
@@TheIntimidator93 with that said, dale tried his best to find a way out of it, maybe make the car spin out down on the banking and drive on to finish 12th. But it didn't happen
You might want to change the time frame there to 1:09:17-1:10:00 because the uploader took about 20 seconds out
I never understood why in 2001 or heck 2002 nascar or the media didn't really pay much attention to the fact that Kyle Petty was driving his sons.... Let me Repeat his sons car who had died at 19. I'm not discounting Earnhardt at all I'm just saying what kyle Petty did was more meaningful than Dale Jr etc
David Michael You have a point
It got a lot of coverage in the 500's pre-race. They interviewed Kyle twice, then they had Ken Squire give a few updates on him during the race. Every time he pitted, it was also mentioned that he was in "Adam Petty's colors"
Simple. It was overshadowed.
@Jason Delarosa That was at New Hampshire done by TNT
Travis M Simpson I guess it’s just because Adam and Kenny didn’t have the same legacy Dale had. Dale was one of the greatest ever, and he died in the most watched and most important race of the year. I remember someone made the analogy that it was like Michael Jordan dying in Game 7 of the NBA finals. Did they deserve to be overshadowed? Certainly not, but due to circumstances it just kinda happened. You guys didn’t even mention Tony Roper who died at Texas in 2000
It also didn’t help that in 2001 Petty Enterprises and Kyle petty were downright awful so...
Tears in Heaven, by Eric Clapton.
Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Earnhardt was a legend, although he drove hard. Had he not died, he'd have had championship #8.
I know NASCAR really doesn't want another death in their sport, but getting rid of these cars (Gen 4), and bringing the COT and the Gen 6 car, is ridiculous. Back then, racing was good, the championship was decided fairly by the best driver the entire season, now the championship system is flawed, the cars are crap, the two greatest drivers of the modern area are now retiring, and there's no more integrity, there's no more actual racing no more, it's getting lucky with a good car, not making your car the best over the race. Everything's about passing nowadays. I'd give everything for NASCAR to overthrow everyone making the decision to change the cars every week, and get people who can make the sport great again in their spots.
+ThatKidd amen
I agree with everything ya said except the bit about the Gen 6 car. I think it's every bit as good as the Gen 4 car especially considering the low down force package for next season. and it looks far my stock then gen 4!
By changing the cars every week, you mean going back to the different types of cars like short track, road course, redirector plate type of setup. If that's what your saying I agree with you. I miss the different types of cars depending on what track your at. 2001 cars had this kind of setup.
+ThatKidd another thing, look at all the crappy tracks that have 2 dates and Rockingham has no dates; Atlanta and Darlington now only have a single date. The Brickyard 400 is a joke, Bristol is not the same.
+ThatKidd the COT was abosulute garbage I agree but the Gen 6 car looks pretty cool and is not that bad, even though I prefer gen 4
i think what makes me most emotional to see is Dale jr. being there 1 week later and all the support for him. that is some strength that man had. a lot of people would not have the strength to be there or at least would not have the strength to drive.
In my opinion losing the three cars was what made losing Dale tougher .
It was like losing Dale twice .
When Davey Allison was lost the the 28 Texaco Havoline car stayed .
As long the car was still there Davey was still there .
suck they don't race here anymore
Dale was made immortal by the intro
It was so perfect
I think he would have taken more of the path of Richard Petty, running his team and still being at the track but not being on camera a whole lot.
Dale Jr. only got to race the 2000 season with his dad but they also spent a lot of time together during the 98 & 99 seasons when Jr. when the back to back busch series championships...
5 cup races in 1999
THIS WAS THE RACE THAT MADE ME A NASCAR FAN.....
when dale earnhardt passed away i was seven and was a jeff gordan fan and i didn't like earnhardt but i remember saying to my dad that didn't look good and then he told me to go get a shower the shortly after that my dad came in and told me that dale earnhardt was dead i was in absolute shock. this last decade alot has change in nascar and ive seen alot of races that had dale in them. ive seen every documentry about him and i can say that he was the greatest racecar driver ever today he ismissed
I lost respect for Dale Earnhardt fans that day for the way Sterling Marlin and Simpson were treated. Truly disgusting behavior. What? No death threats for Hornaday for wrecking Junior on the first lap of the next race after Daytona? I guess they were still too busy harassing Sterling.
19 years later and they're still giving Sterling shit for it. Plus, they seem to think Dale was the only person to drive the 3 car and no one else should.
Butthead: Uh Huh Huh Those Fans are Dumbass Hypocrites
R.I.P Dale Earnhardt, The Intimidator, he was sorely missed. The man in black I became an instant fan when I watched the Michigan Goodwrench 400 and some NASCAR races back in the mid-late 90s. The 1999 Bristol race and the thrilling final win for Dale Earnhardt at Dega were some of my favorites.
Park brought it home for his late boss. The three of them at DEI were great teammates together with Eury Sr. and Jr as their crew chief. Harvick bringing RCR victory with Dale's old car at Atlanta.
Anyone know what name of the symphony music playing in the background in Michael Waltrip's segment? I've heard it at the beginning of Fox broadcast of the Daytona 500 for the first time.
indyfan2 theme song from Rudy
I still cry over him
get over it. he'd laugh at you
Simplyepicman883 well its long past time to move on.
The first race after Dale's death here in the Dura Lube 400 at Rockingham, was like the Phillies' first game after Harry Kalas' death in Washington, DC on April 13, 2009.
John Andretti. RIP John.
man if only dale wore that new stuff everyone had in 01
With the nature of the crash and the improperly installed seat belts it wouldn't matter.
It’s crazy how it literally took Dale Earnhardt for NASCAR to realize how bad their safety was. I look back at how the cockpit and safety was back then and think how in the hell did they race like that
Like no catch fences is crazy
Thanks for the awesome quality!
Darrell's invocation was so poignant and beautiful.
This is still hard to watch but I am so glad I can. Thank You.
This race is where Jeff Gordon became the face of the sport.
i was one when Dale died:'( now im 12. I still cant belive it has been 11-12 years since he passed R.I.P
This is one of the teracks I wish NASCAR would come back too
Steve Park was so promising
A real shame what happened at darlington, a complete freak accident!
One of THE UNLUCKIEST drivers ever.
Wow, look at young Chris Myers.
I mean come on.... after the death of the 1st person in a 1 year span changes NEED to be made. It was very foolish of Nascar to wait until a superstar racer died for them to make changes.
I mean, it shouldn't take a death for Nascar to realize that changes need to be made!
apparently, the rock had a really good p.a system.
"Buffy" Waltrip is hot in this 30:30,
racefan32 LOL! Mikey married way out of his league.
+MrBaddog7676 Apparently Not, as she loves and married him! Therefore nobody else's' judgments matter. :-)
San47di It was a joke. I say I married out of my league, all the time.
In my opinion, EVERY guy marries out of his league. Women are the most beautiful creatures on the face of the planet.
San47di well they're divorced now
San47di
They are divorced now you idiot.
We miss you Dale
Nice tribute to dale there
2006 was the last full season I watched, never cared for the COT. I know it's supposed to be safer, but the cars and racing isn't the same at all, not to mention real boring! I try and catch the Daytona 500 and the road courses every year, but that's about it. Even Bristol and Martinsville aren't that exciting anymore. Sad the direction NASCAR has taken in the 18 years since Earnhardt's death. Oh, and bring back THE ROCK! This track was awesome.
Dale seemed to be pretty content at the time of his death. That brings me a lot of solice personally.
First race without Dale Earnhardt since the 1979 Southern 500; first race that Marcis Auto Racing did not attempt since the 1989 Goody's 500 at Martinsville.
Rockingham & Earnhardt RIP
And this is first race of new nascar
Watching this I didn't feel that Mike Helton was too concerned about safety. He seemed to just dance around the questions didn't really seem like he was going all in to keep these drivers safe.
I agree
OH BOY I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUPERBOWL 36 NEXT JANUARY!!!
1:20:12 Chase Elliott
Now at 1:19:37 because the uploader removed 20 seconds.
Your New Champion
That little guy is just another guy going to try and be like his dad. He will fail and be completely out of racing in two years after starting!
my heart goes out to mse and jr
What happened with the audio. Did someone say that video violated a copyright law with the music in this video.
Something happen I don't know what.
Sounds like he fixed the issue by muting the sound only when there's the music that he didn't credit.
The Music Is Wrong, It Is Free Bird By Lynyrd Skynyrd At The Beginning
Sterling's a good guy he didn't cause that wreck
1:43:40 race begins
ty and austin dillon brought back the #3 in 2010
Vomit inducing.
1:09:54-1:10:00... pay attention and look very closely at the driver's window... you can see head movement from Earnhardt right after he hit the wall, as in he slumps as soon as he went head on....
That angle looks like the camera was too far away from the cars to see through the drivers window into the cockpit.
I was at this race.. It was just... misery. I went back on the Monday, much better then. What was MW talking about at 32 mins in though? About not having Car owner points and needing to qualify to get in. I get that Sr was gone, but DEI was still there and he won the previous race.??
+Greg Stephens For the first 4 races of 2001 (Daytona through Atlanta) provisionals were allotted based on 2000 Owner points standings. The 15 team did not exist in 2000, therefore had no points for that year and no provisional to use until the 5th race of 2001 (Darlington). He had to be in the top 36 in qualifying to make the race.
@@DaMan87 The #15 Ford made 2 races in 2000
@@DupontandLowesWarrior That was a different team, the old Bud Moore Engineering team, that made those starts. Michael's team was a brand new team out of DEI and as such those were not his points to use. They likely wouldn't have mattered much anyway even if they were his, as that team was so far down the owner point standings, he never would have got a provisional anyway.
@@DaMan87 another Example is Jimmy Spencer Winning Daytona and Talladega in July of 1994 in The #27 McDonald's Ford but He Failed To Qualify for The Bristol Night Race due To only Having a high needed 37 Drivers
It seems like Jr. left the youth he had back in daytona
I've been following NASCAR since the late seventies when I was a teenager. I have never been more ashamed of any sports fans than I was of NASCAR fans after Daytona 2001. I don't watch it as much these days (not a fan of the Chase system) but every time I hear Dale Earnhardt's name mentioned I am reminded of the sleazeball NASCAR fans and the way they treated Bill Simpson and Sterling Marlin. NASCAR fans make Chicago Cubs fans look like altar boys. Truly disgusting.
Cubs Fans are Gay
That interview didnt lose him the chanpionship, Atlanta and Martinsville lost it for him. If he would have had a top 10 in those 2 races he would have the name champion.
yeah idk about you but i could imagine dale sr being retired today commentating races with DW what could of been good times
The #3 is Richards number not Dales, so I think Dale Jr would still be running the 8. Jr was proud to run that number. I think the fans just want to believe he wants to run the #3. If he was alive, DEI would be one of the top teams in Nascar thats for sure, and who knows he might have waited for Steve Park to heal and he might still be on the team.
thanks men. keep the good work :-)
man those Gibb's Pontiac's sound good
1:44:08 Green Flag & Dale Jr Crash
when Steve got imjured @ atlanta in 1998 dale hired dw to run some races for them in the #1 that was what dw was talking about
Jr. may not have been able to carry on the Earnhardt legacy, but he lost his father and the break-up of the family team some years later was one of the reasons why he wasn't as successful. All it took was eight to ten years to get back in the right direction. 2004 would have been his year to win the title, if it weren't for that profanity during post race interviews. Dale Earnhardt's death was partly the reason why Jr. never quite lived up to the Earnhardt name.
The Earnhardt's are the best when it comes to superspeedway racing.
As a rule, NASCAR should play "Freebird" in the intro to every single one of their Cup races. I'm just saying.......
I've been looking for the full interview of Dale JR at 13:23 for the longest time. Does anyone know where I could find it? Thank you
I found more of that footage during the qualifying session. ruclips.net/video/-jdOcFIO8ec/видео.html
Was wondering do have full race of 98 Cummins 250 truck series were feud between Hornday Jr & Jack Sprague I think Sprauge went on to win that race
i signed that trailer,wonder where it is now?
Man, it sure seemed hard 4 mike helton 2 sit there through that interrogation